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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29010654">Dog on the Run</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/pushingcrazies/pseuds/DarkwingDukat'>DarkwingDukat (pushingcrazies)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Misadventures of Dog Ownership [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Supernatural</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Cas is back, Established Castiel/Dean Winchester, Established Relationship, Fluff, I don't know how but he is, M/M, Washing a dog isn't as easy as it looks</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 12:33:54</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,546</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29010654</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/pushingcrazies/pseuds/DarkwingDukat</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Miracle loves jumping in puddles and chasing sticks into rivers and lakes. A bath should be no big deal.</p><p>Right?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Castiel/Dean Winchester</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Misadventures of Dog Ownership [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2149170</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>64</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Dog on the Run</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Major thanks to ceilingninja on Tumblr, not only for beta reading this bit of fluff for me, but also for listening to me ramble as I rewatch/resume watching SPN. I'm only on S4 right now, so she made sure I stayed true to the boys' characterizations past S15.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Dude, your dog stinks.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dean frowned at Sammy, who was currently scratching Miracle behind his ears and wincing, presumably at the smell. “Miracle, come.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Miracle gave him a look like he was an idiot. Why would he leave when he was getting perfectly good attention over here, thank you very much? Dean sighed. Damn dog was just as stubborn as any other Winchester. “Will you stop petting my dog if you find his smell so offensive?” Dean snapped at Sammy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam held his hands up in mock surrender. Miracle stayed frozen for a moment longer before looking up at him as if to say </span>
  <em>
    <span>why did you stop?!</span>
  </em>
  <span> Resigned to the fact he wouldn’t be getting any more scratches from the bigger human, Miracle finally trotted over to Dean and sat, expecting a treat for being obviously the best dog in the world.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dean carefully sniffed the air near Miracle’s head. Nothing. No skunk or garbage smells. Dean brought his nose closer to Miracle’s fur. Nope, nothing to warrant Sam’s offended tone. “Dude, he just smells like a dog.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Exactly,” Sammy said grimly. “Have you ever bathed him?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No. Why would I?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Because your hand shouldn’t come away covered in grime when you pet a dog, Dean,” Sam exclaimed, holding his palm out in demonstration.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dean still didn’t get what the big deal was. “Bobby’s dogs were always covered in dirt, remember? Never did them any harm.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Bobby owned junkyard dogs. They weren’t pets, they were there to scare the shit out of potential thieves and little boys. And they didn’t live indoors and stink up the whole house,” Sam said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dean wanted to argue further. He really didn’t think Miracle smelled that bad. In fact, he kinda liked the musty, earthy smell. It was comforting and familiar, and reminded Dean that they were </span>
  <em>
    <span>alive</span>
  </em>
  <span>. But Sam had his Princess Bitch face on and wasn’t going to let this go, so Dean rolled his eyes and grumbled, “Fine. I’ll wash the damn dog. Happy?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes,” Sam said, and left the kitchen just as Cas walked in, looking bleary-eyed and pre-caffeinated. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>As Dean poured Cas a cup of coffee, he glanced down at Miracle. “Don’t suppose I can talk you into taking a big, stinky dump in his shoe, can I?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Miracle simply stared at him, wondering why he hadn’t gotten his treat yet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>---</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dean, Cas, and Miracle went into town as soon as Cas was awake enough to string more than two words together. Dean and Miracle could have easily gone to the pet shop on their own, but Cas was downright fascinated by the idea of doggy shampoo, and why Dean couldn’t just use his own shampoo.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shouldn’t it all essentially be the same?” he wondered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dean frowned. “I don’t think so. I mean, dogs probably need different nutrients and stuff, right? I mean, dog food isn’t the same as human food.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You cook all of Miracle’s food yourself,” Cas pointed out. “Commercial dog food may be different from human food, but Miracle doesn’t eat that. In many ways his food is actually quite similar to ours.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And okay, Cas might have a point there. Multiple times, Sam had complimented him on something he’d found in the fridge that he thought was leftovers which had actually been Miracle’s dinner. Look, it was just easier when he already had the food and was cooking anyway - why not just prepare the dog’s food the same way he did Sam’s or Cas’ or his own? It didn’t make Dean crazy, as much as Sam liked to say it did.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And it also didn’t mean Dean was crazy when it took him half an hour to pick out the right shampoo. Just because he carefully read the ingredient list on each bottle and compared them and searched for advice on the internet and asked a dozen questions of the sales associate who had paused to coo over Miracle. It wasn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>crazy</span>
  </em>
  <span>. It was just thorough, and what any responsible first-time dog owner would do.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finally, Dean selected one (oatmeal-based in case Miracle had allergies he wasn’t aware of, and sweet-smelling so that maybe Sam will stop bitching for a few days) and hunted down Cas, who had wandered off after the tenth ingredient Dean had googled. Dean found him in the treat aisle holding a bag of fake bacon.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What is the point in attempting to fool a dog with this facsimile?” Cas asked as Dean came up beside him. “Do dogs care that their treat is in the shape of bacon, when it tastes nothing like the real thing?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nope,” Dean said, taking the bag out of his hands and putting it back on the shelf. “But the humans do. That’s who the manufacturers are appealing to. Dogs couldn’t care less, long as it smells good.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cas glanced down at the bottle in Dean’s hand. “You picked one?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yup. Should be good. Let’s go.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dean headed towards the cash registers. Cas grabbed the treats back off the shelf and followed him. Dean rolled his eyes but paid for both.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>---</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Back at the bunker, Dean was all set. Getting the shampoo had been the hardest part, he figured. Miracle loved jumping in puddles and chasing sticks out into various bodies of water. He took to water like nothing. Therefore, a bath should be no big deal at all. “Easy peasy,” he’d told Sammy, who scoffed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“C’mon, buddy,” Dean called. “Let’s go.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Miracle started to follow Dean, saw where they were headed, and stopped dead in his tracks. Looked at Dean. Looked at the bathroom door. Looked at Dean again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And turned tail and ran.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What the hell?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Miracle never minded following Dean into the bathroom before - in fact, sometimes Dean had to physically force him out of the room so he could pee in peace. So why was he flipping out now?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dean whistled. Miracle poked his head into the long hallway, but didn’t come any closer. Dean took a step towards him; Miracle tensed. Another step; Miracle fled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dean stopped, completely baffled. “You want a treat?” he called out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Words that would normally bring Miracle running from any part of the bunker now had no effect. No pitter patter of little feet, no scrabbling of nails. Nothing. Dean whistled one more time, but still no sign of the dog. So he set off down the hall towards where he’d seen Miracle disappear.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He found Sam and Cas instead. Sam was looking at something on his laptop, and Cas was reading a book. “He’s under the couch,” Sam said without looking up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dean got down on his knees with a loud groan and peered under the couch. Miracle’s big, doleful brown eyes stared back out at him. “Come on, man,” he said. “Let’s go.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Miracle crawled out from under the couch and gave Dean’s face a thorough washing. “Good boy,” Dean said through clenched teeth (Miracle had an uncanny ability to get his tongue into Dean’s mouth if he wasn’t careful). “Alright, alright, that’s enough. Come on.” He stood up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Miracle tensed again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t you da-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Too late. Miracle shot back under the couch before Dean could move a muscle to stop him. “Oh come on!” Dean yelled, dropping down flat on his belly. Above him, he could hear Sammy struggling not to laugh. “Shuddup, Sam!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t say anything,” Sam protested.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you want some help, Dean?” Cas asked, sounding concerned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m fine,” Dean insisted. “We’re fine. Come on, Miracle.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But the dog refused to budge. Something rattled and crinkled above Dean’s head, and suddenly the room was flooded with the smell of fake bacon. Cas crouched down next to Dean and held out one of the pungent treats. Miracle looked from Dean to the treat to Cas, little doggy brain calculating. He crawled forward a few inches, just enough for Dean to be able to grab his collar and drag him the rest of the way out. Miracle glared at Cas, betrayed, before scarfing the treat down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dean stood up, still grasping Miracle’s collar. He led the dog a few steps, which Miracle walked easily enough. Emboldened, Dean loosened his grip and started to release him. Miracle tried to bolt back to the couch, but this time Dean’s reflexes were quick enough that he kept the upper hand. “Come on, buddy,” Dean said, keeping his tone light even though he really wanted to yell out his frustration. “This is gonna be fun, I promise.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hunched over so that he could keep hold of Miracle’s collar, Dean walked Miracle down the hall towards the bathroom. Cas trailed behind, clutching the bag of treats like a talisman. “I said I don’t need help,” Dean snapped, then immediately regretted it. It wasn’t Cas’ fault Dean was embarrassed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Of course, Miracle chose that moment to stop walking and strain against the collar. It was a martingale design, since Miracle had long since proven he could simply slip out of a regular clip or buckle collar, and Dean didn’t approve of choke chains. Realizing that this technique wasn’t going to work, Miracle went a step further and sat down. Then laid down. Complete dead weight. If Dean wanted to get him into the bathroom, he’d have to drag or carry him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ridiculous.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dean moved to scoop him up, which required him to relax his hold on the collar just enough for Miracle to take a chance. Dean lost his grip and Miracle turned to run back down the hall - only to find Cas blocking his path. Cas dropped the treats and grabbed Miracle, who thrashed wildly. Cas nearly lost his grip, but after a moment, the dog realized his escape attempt had been foiled and went back down into a deadweight.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright, alright, enough of this.” Dean grabbed Miracle around the middle and hefted him up into his arms. He shoved the bathroom door fully open with his shoulder, then kicked it shut behind him, slamming it right in Cas’ face. He’d feel bad about that later, when he wasn’t pissed off that a dog had nearly outwitted him three times.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you sure you don’t want help?” Cas called through the door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’re </span>
  <em>
    <span>fine</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” Dean yelled, heaving Miracle into the tub.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cas waited outside the door, listening to the sounds of a struggle. He heard the shower turn on, the scrabble of hard nails against porcelain, a moment of peace - followed by a deafening bark, a series of thumps, and loud cursing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When Dean poked his head back outside, he found Cas still standing there, completely unfazed. Dean glared at him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fine. Come in and help if you want.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Only Dean could make asking for help sound like he was doing the other person a favor.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>---</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cas held a strip of bacon-scented processed chemicals in front of Miracle’s nose. Miracle licked his lips. “You want this -” he hesitated to call it “food” “ - piece of synthetic meat that has been engineered to trick your tastebuds into believing it is yummy?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dean closed his eyes. “Dude.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If you want this,” Cas continued, ignoring Dean, “you must get into the tub and stand under the shower while Dean washes your fur. It may not seem worth it now, but I believe you will be satisfied once you are able to eat it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Cas.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dean, if you explain the situation to him -”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He’s a dog, Cas! His understanding of the situation is ‘shower bad, treat not worth it.’ Just let it go and take off your pants.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cas squinted at him. “I do not think this is the time -”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dean let his head drop in complete exasperation. “Dude. Take off your pants so that he doesn’t get you soaking wet like he did me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ah. Well, that was a fair point. Cas straightened up and kicked off his shoes before taking off his pants and socks. He took his sweatshirt off, too, for good measure, leaving him in just a t-shirt and boxers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, on the count of three let’s get him into the tub. You’ll stand in there with him and hold him while I soap him up and rinse him off. Ready?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why do I have to be the one in the tub?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Because this is my idea and my dog so I’m calling the shots. Okay, let’s go - one, two, three.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Together they hefted Miracle into the tub, and Cas climbed in with him. Dean knelt beside the tub, using the detachable shower head to wet Miracle down. Immediately, the dog began squirming.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hold him!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh no, wait -”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ack. Shit shit shit.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t have him!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hold on….”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dean grabbed the shampoo bottle, wrestled it open one-handed (the other one occupied with keeping Miracle inside the tub and steady), and poured it all over Miracle’s back. Working quickly, Dean and Cas soaped him up. Dean added more shampoo, just in case. Miracle wasn’t a huge dog, but he did have a lot of fur. It would have to do. If Sammy wasn’t happy after this, Dean was going to fucking kill him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dean grabbed the shower head and rinsed him off. And rinsed him off again. And again. Holy shit, okay maybe half the bottle had been too much. Finally, the last of the suds went swirling down the drain, and Dean shut the water off. He grabbed a towel, rubbing as much water out of Miracle’s fur as he could.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cas straightened up, working a couple of kinks out of his back. Dean dropped the towel and let Miracle hop out of the tub. The dog looked back and forth between his humans before planting his feet and going into a full-body shake that left Cas, Dean, and the entire bathroom dripping. So much for getting most of the water out of Miracle’s fur.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think I need a shower now, too,” Dean groused. He held out a hand to help Cas out of the tub without slipping on the wet linoleum.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cas gave Miracle the treat he had been promised (although Dean felt he really didn’t deserve it) and opened the bathroom door. The dog went tearing down the hallway at full speed, skidded to a stop at the end, then came zooming back past the bathroom. He stopped at the other end, too, and came tearing back to come to a dead stop in front of Dean and drop into a perfect play bow, tail wagging wildly. Dean made a strangled noise in the back of his throat. All that struggle and now Miracle was acting like the happiest dog in the world?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dude!” Sam’s voice echoed up the hallway. “Why is the floor all wet?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dean groaned. “I say we leave him in Sam’s room to dry.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dean,” Cas said balefully. “I am very wet.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dean glanced back at him. “Yeah, me too, buddy. What say we dry the bathroom then get cleaned up ourselves?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cas raised an eyebrow. “I trust you won’t be as fussy as Miracle about taking a bath?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If I am, are you gonna climb in there with me and hold me still?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cas hummed. “Perhaps so.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sam! Keep an eye on Miracle,” Dean yelled out, already pushing Cas back into the bathroom and locking the door behind them, shutting off Sam’s inevitable protests.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I wish I could have fit Eileen in here somewhere because I love her, but I haven't actually watched the episodes she's in yet. So just know she's part of their lives, she's just off on a hunt right now.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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